Chiltern and Cherwell Valley Lines

Pictures from the last days of steam to the present on the lines from Marylebone & Paddington through the Chiltern Hills and Cherwell Valley to Birmingham Snow Hill, plus associated branch lines. Photos are in chronological order, apart from the first few, oldest first! New (or old!) pictures are constantly being added!

168 324 had departed from Oxford Platform 2 as 5Y16, a couple of minutes early at 11:17 but was then held at Signal OX86 at Oxford North Junction due to a signal failure and track defect elsewhere in the Oxford Station area. This meant that 5Z18, the 10:59 from Oxford Parkway to Hinksey Reception Lines had not departed, so 5Y16 could not go any further until Platform 1 at Oxford Parkway was clear. 5Z18 was cancelled and the train shunted into the stone terminal sidings at Banbury Road ( a regular move for Chiltern ECS) to get it out of the way. Nevertheless, 168 324 stood for some 30 minutes at OX86 and the signal is now in the process of clearing from red to green with feather for the Bicester line - the camera has caught the signal in the process - still showing a red aspect but with feather! An unidentified AXC Super Voyager is passing on the Down Main working 1M38, the 09:45 from Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly, running nine minutes late. 11:50, Monday 28th November 2016.